Consistent Quality, Ageability & Sheer Drinkability: A Tasting of 2014 New Zealand Syrah

If Syrah was once a quiet contender on the NZ wine stage, it can now be considered a rising star. Hailed as one of our most exciting red varieties in terms of quality, aging potential and international recognition, Syrah is carving out a distinctive niche, particularly in Hawkes Bay and also on Auckland’s Waiheke Island. Tina Gellie wrote for Decanter in August 2018 that “New Zealand Syrahs are consistently high in quality…capable of offering excellent value compared to the Rhone” with MW Philip Tuck adding “Gimblett Gravels is probably the best site [for Syrah] outside France”.

2014 was generally considered a strong vintage both in Hawkes Bay and on Auckland’s Waiheke Island. On Waiheke a warm and settled Spring led to good flowering and even fruit set followed by strong early growth. After some heavy late Spring rain to replenish soil moisture levels, Summer and autumn were notably sunny and mostly dry without being excessively hot. This allowed for optimal ripening, balancing sugar levels with phenolic ripeness and minimising disease pressure. Syrah wines were produced with elegance, concentration and aging potential, balancing rich black fruit profiles with juicy acidity and fine tannins.

In Hawkes Bay, New Zealand Winegrower reported “very strong Syrah” for the 2014 vintage and Trinity Hill noted Syrah as “the absolute highlight”. Despite a damp September, bud burst was two weeks early and there were no frosts, allowing uniform flowering and fruit set which later contributed to consistent ripening across blocks.  Early summer was both warm and wet leading to humid conditions that created some disease pressure and required careful canopy management. Mid-summer was warm and dry with cooler February temperatures and average rainfall followed by an “average” March with dry and warm conditions prevailing until 5 April when a ten-day period of rain commenced. However, overall total growing degree days were at ‘record highs”, it was an early picking season, and Syrah was picked well before the wet April weather. The Bay’s cool nights helped preserve acidity and aromatic freshness and in the main phenolic ripeness was excellent, but high sugars risked over-ripe or jammy fruit characters where vine and crop level management was not optimal.

Our tasting was an exceptional lineup of 7 Hawkes Bay wines and 2 Waiheke wines. We added an Australian Shiraz from the same vintage as a counterpoint and we also added a reference Northern Rhone Syrah, but from the rather excellent 2015 vintage as the 2014 vintage in Northern Rhone was generally poor.

The final lineup for the tasting was:

Waiheke

• Tantalus Voile Reserve
• Frenchman’s Hill Herculean

Hawkes Bay

• Esk Valley Winemaker’s Reserve
• Te Mata Bullnose
• Vidal legacy
• Sacred Hill Deerstalkers
• John Forrest Gimblett Gravels Collection
• Elephant Hill Reserve
• Church Road TOM

South Australia (Barossa)

• Penfolds Bin 150 Marananga Shiraz

Northern Rhone

• Jaboulet Domaine de Thalabert Crozes Hermitage 2015

Any lover of New Zealand Syrah would appreciate what was on this list. Nonetheless, a lineup of wines from a single vintage will inevitably have regrettable omissions. Hawkes Bay wines I particularly wished I could have added to the lineup are: Trinity Hill Homage, Elephant Hill Airavata, Craggy Range Le Sol, and Bilancia La Collina. Sadly, I had none of these from 2014 in my cellar and despite a year of following auctions online, had no opportunity to source any either. As it turned out however, the Elephant Hill Reserve proved more than an adequate substitute for the Airavata. From Waiheke, Man O’War Dreadnought and Obsidian Reserve would have been worthy additions. Cooler climate Syrahs with their white peppery notes such as Marlborough’s Giesen Clayvin, or Martinborough’s Ata Rangi Juliet, Kusuda or Dry River Lovat would have added a further dimension.

The wines were decanted into plain unlabelled bottles just over four hours before pouring at the tasting. I tasted the wines alone in order to determine first, that all were sound, and second, an order for service. On this first appraisal all of the wines showed well. I was surprised that seven wines were under cork, five of these being 50mm in length, the Jaboulet 55mm and surprisingly the Te Mata cork was only 46mm and I wonder if this was just a QC anomaly as on checking corks I have retained I found a Te Mata 2013 Awatea cork at 50mm.  

The service order rationale  was simply to commence the lineup with a wine representative of good New Zealand Syrah, but without any notable extremes, to move from the more medium-bodied to more full-bodied styles and to invite comparison and contrast throughout the series.

The final order selection was

1. Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve
2. Vidal Legacy
3. Sacred Hill Deerstalkers
4. Te Mata Bullnose
5. Jaboulet Thalabert
6. Frenchman’s Hill Herculean
7. Tantalus Voile Reserve
8. Elephant Hill Rserve
9. John Forrest Gimblett Gravels Collection
10. Penfolds Bin 150 Marananga
11. Church Road TOM

Tasting was blind with the wines initially appraised without accompaniment and then again with food. The food was a simple pork shoulder roast with roasted vegetables and peas, followed by some cheese.

On conclusion of the tasting, participants were invited to vote for:

• Their favourite wine
• Second favourite wine
• Least favourite wine
• From Hawkes Bay
• From Waiheke
• French
• Australian

Wines poured ready to taste

What follows are my own tasting notes combined with the tasting participants general impressions. I won’t comment on the colour in the glass as there was very little discernible difference between the wines which all appeared densely purple red.

Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve.

All agreed this was an excellent introduction to the series. Two thought it might have been from Waiheke. Lovely nose balancing violet florals with vibrant dark berry fruit and a whiff of black pepper spice.  On the palate, medium to full bodied with lush rich Doris plum, blueberry and blackcurrant flavours with soft tannins, balanced acidity and a long smooth finish.   

Vidal Legacy

Blackberry fruit and mineral notes give way to violet florals, a hint of black olive and again that whiff of black pepper. On the palate balancing power and freshness with rich ripe dark, berry and Doris plum fruit a touch of licorice and some brown spice, fine grained tannins and that characteristic lift of acid freshness on the long finish that tells me this this is a Hugh Crichton Syrah.

Sacred Hill Deerstalkers

When I opened this wine it lacked the aromatic punch I’d expected from previously tasting the 2013, but otherwise seemed in good condition, just a little lighter. This was the favourite wine of two participants and also the least favourite of another two. Both commented on something not quite right with one speculating a little TCA, another a hint of (“not unattractive” Brettanomyces). No-one thought that the wine was in anyway not acceptable but a majority did feel it wasn’t quite the wine they expected having tasted the 2013 previously.  For me, aromas of dark berry fruit, pepper spice and smoke but florals seemed subdued. On the palate ripe plum and blackberry fruit, some herb and rhubarb notes, medium acidity and fine-grained tannins, quite a long finish with a hint of chocolate and licorice.

Te Mata Bullnose

Quite a pronounced nose of bramble fruits, black pepper, violets, licorice and that whiff of black pepper. On the palate very sweet-fruited with notes of five spice and black pepper as a counterpoint, some black olives, licorice and dark chocolate as well. Medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins and nicely integrated acidity taking the wine through to an elegant finish. Very sweet-fruit-focussed, nicely balanced by the tannins, acidity and spice elements but two participants disliked the overt fruit sweetness and rated it their least favourite.

Jaboulet Domaine de Thalabert Crozes Hermitage 2015

Distinctly mineral edged overlaying the initial ripe blue and black fruit aromas – almost iodine like, but underpinned with violet and rose florals, distinct note of cracked pepper and hint of smoky bacon, herbs and sous bois. Plush packed dark berry fruit flavours with black olives and truffle along with that slightly medicinal iodine note. Firm but soft tannins underpin the medium-full body with nicely balanced acidity, finishes long with sweet dark fruit underpinned by a wet-stone minerality. Second favourite for four people (including me!). No-one identified this wine as French!

Frenchman’s Hill Herculean

Complex nose of berries, plums and spices edged with peppery herbs and tobacco. On the plate rich ripe berry fruits, black pepper and clove spice, the latter from oak, full-bodied with fine ripe tannins, juicy acidity and a long harmonious finish.

Tantalus Voile Reserve

I first tasted this wine at a dinner with the Winemaker at Hippopotamus Restaurant in Wellington a few years ago. It impressed me then with its ageability and I thought early critic scores under-estimated it. Three participants thought this wine was French. The wine presents a fine, concentrated and eminently harmonious nose of ripe blackberries and plums, violets and carnations, that characteristic whiff of pepper spice and a lick of licorice. On the palate the same rich ripe berry and plum fruits flow smoothly through the mouth to give way to more savoury and spice elements with beautifully integrated acidity and fine tannins. The finish is long and spice tinged. The favourite wine for two people and second favourite for another.

Elephant Hill Reserve.